How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days or Less!
by bunniehoney
Summary: An arranged marriage? It can't be! Just how far will a certain Magic Knight go to ditch an unwanted admirer? And what madness will ensue for the other Knights and their lovers? *COMPLETE!!!! ^_~* [pairings inside, based on manga only......]
1. Matchmaker

HI!! ^_^ Tis me! Bunnie here with a fic that I just had to create....I just finished Magic Knight Rayearth (the manga), and I absolutely LOVED IT!! But something was missing......like, did the people of Autozam solve their air pollution problems? Is Cephiro really better off without a true pillar? BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY......who got together with who??!! (or is it whom? Hmm.......) Well, I just had to write a continuation.....so here goes!!  
  
P.S.: Duh, I don't own this! None of this!! MKR belongs to the wonderful people of CLAMP!  
  
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Chapter 1  
  
Hikaru glanced sadly out of the window at the rain dripping down the panes. She would be 16 in a matter of days, but she knew what was coming to her.  
  
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Two weeks before, Hikaru was happily challenging her oldest brother to a karate match. The little girl had him on the ground in a matter of seconds and was keeping him pinned down, when her mom's voice wafted into the room. "HIKARU?!" she yelled, her footsteps coming closer. Hikaru's brother made a failed attempt to throw the unusually strong girl off of him, but that only resulted in his arms and legs flailing about stupidly. Then, her mother pushed open the thin door, taking one look at her two children. "Oh, my dears! Your father is coming home tomorrow!"  
  
"Mmphh?!" answered the defeated boy. Hikaru turned to look up at her mom's face, her beautiful eyes sparkling. She was off of her brother in a flash, holding her hands excitedly and jumping up and down, screaming, "Daddy's coming home! Daddy's coming home!"  
  
Hikaru's brother got up, nursing his wounds. "It's about time. I thought he would never return after his 5 year old daughter had beat him unmercilessly......" He grinned mischieviously. Hikaru smacked him upside the head.  
  
"It's not funny...." she had said, crossing her arms and pouting.  
  
"As a matter of fact, your dad is coming home to see you especially, my little kung fu master!" their mom said, pinching Hikaru's cheeks and pulling them every which way. Hikaru blushed and made the woman stop.  
  
"Stop it mom, you're embarrassing me!" Hikaru said, rubbing her swollen face.  
  
"He...he has to tell you something dear...." her mom said, with a weird tone. She lookeda t the ground as she shuffled her feet.  
  
"Something wrong mom?" Hikaru's oldest brother asked. Their mother just snapped her head back up and faked a smile.  
  
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The next day, Hikaru got up extra early. She hopped out of bed and ran to the front porch of her house to wait for her dad. Hikari met her there, licking her face until Hikaru felt like she was sopping wet. Her eyes shone brightly with wonder as she watched the sun rise gloriously on the horizon.  
  
Hikaru sighed as she sat on the steps to the porch, wondering why her father wanted to see her so bad. Then, her thoughts wandered to the friends she saw nearly every month. Hikaru loved to see them and catch up with them, and see if her home away from home was doing well. And right now, everything seemed to be going right for her.  
  
Suddenly, Hikari barked, and wriggled out of Hikaru's grasp. The dog then ran on down the path. Hikaru blinked, wondering what had gotten into Hikari, when a familiar voice called out, "Oh, hello there Hikari!"  
  
Hikaru looked up to see the friendly face of her father. "DAD!" she screamed with joy as she knocked him over as she tried to jump into his arms. She was sitting on his chest, smiling.  
  
"My sweet little Hikaru! My, you've grown! You're just as beautiful as all those pictures your mom sent me!" He lifted her off of himself and stood up, almost two feet taller than she was. He cupped her face with his hand as she cried some silent tears of joy.  
  
"Daddy, I've missed you so much," she said, hugging him around the waist. Her father placed a hand on her head and replied, "I've missed you too."  
  
"My, my she is a short one!" a weary voice said from behind Hikaru's father. Hikaru's eyes opened in surprise, and she peeked around her beloved dad to see an old woman standing there, her hands grasping the shoulders of a boy that looked around 17. He was staring at the ground.  
  
The old woman let go of the boy and floated over to where Hikaru was standing in her nightgown, her long, red hair flowing down to her waist. Then, the lady proceeded to move the hair off of Hikaru's face, pushing the wispy bangs out of her eyes. She cupped the little chin in her hand, turning Hikaru's face from side to side and examining it closely. Hikaru noticed that the elderly woman's eyes were nearly all white and glazed over, and she shivered as those eyes ran over her.  
  
The old lady smiled a toothless smile. "But, true to your word, Mr. Shidou, she is very beautiful. A perfect match for Yuri!" She signaled to the boy, who walked over slowly. He extended his hand, and she placed it in his, ready to shake it.  
  
"Uh, I'm Hikaru!" she said, but no sooner had she said so, then the boy leaned forward and kissed the back of her hand. She blushed, and removed her hand abruptly. Hikaru, thoroughly confused, looked from the old woman, to the boy, and then to her father, who was avoiding her gaze. But, she wasn't so naive anymore, and caught up soon with what was happening.  
  
She looked wildly at her father. "Y-y-you came from China, right? You were t-t-training there....." Hikaru started backing away. "A-and, this is what you bring back?"  
  
"Oh, please let me explain, Hikaru," her father started. Hikaru was staring at the ground, her fists clenched.  
  
She looked up, happiness shining from her. "You have brought me back a Chinese adversary!" She put her hands over her mouth, giggling (okay, maybe she was still very naive).  
  
Then, she began to circle the boy, who had a look of astonishment written across his face. "Hmm, he seems tough enough....big muscles, pretty tall......." Then she stopped and stood still right in front of him. "So, you want a piece of me?" she taunted, going into a fighting stance.  
  
The boy looked at the old woman, who shot and evil look at Hikaru's father. Apparently, he was very pale. "Hikaru, please come with me," he said sternly.  
  
"But, first I must defeat this very worthy opponent!" she said, smiling very big. She felt a tug on the back of her nightgown. Her dad dragged her all the way inside into the kitchen, where her father and her brothers were eating breakfast.  
  
"Hikaru, don't you understand?" he said, becoming very scary all of a sudden. He backed her into a corner, where she cowered in fear, a thing she hadn't done in a very long time. "Don't you know who those people are?" Hikaru nodded her head, then shook her it slowly, her eyes wide.  
  
"Aren't they great Chinese martial artists, papa?" she asked sheepishly. Her father placed his hand on his forehead, contorting his face in anger. Then he turned on her mother.  
  
"Miki! Didn't I tell you to tell her about them?! I told you to inform her what's supposed to happen when she turns 16!" Hikaru's mother grew pale and stared at the ground again.  
  
In that weird tone of voice, she mumbled, "I....I couldn't tell her......She was just too happy about seeing you again...."  
  
Hikaru's father turned back to his beloved daughter and took in a few deep breaths, running his hand through his hair. "Honey," he said, clenching his teeth a little bit. "Honey, that nice lady out there is a Chinese matchmaker, and that is your future husband out there...."  
  
"Oh silly Dad! I can't marry that boy! I barely even met him!" Hikaru started giggling uncontrollably again. No one else was laughing. She looked at the kitchen table, where her brothers had stopped in mid-bite, some food dribbling out of their mouths. "Right?"  
  
"You have to....." her mother said, holding her wrist tightly. "You have to by your 16th birthday....."  
  
"No...." Hikaru whispered more to herself than to anybody else. She started to back away.  
  
"I'm so sorry sweetie.....That boy's father saved my life while I was up on that mountain training, and the matchmaker said you two would be perfect together.....I am indebted to Yuri's father..."  
  
"No! I won't! I will never marry, unless it is for love!" Hikaru fled , sobbing, back into her room. She cried into her pillow, as Hikari came to comfort her. The dog put his head in her lap, as she sniffled and tried to calm down.  
  
She heard voices back in the kitchen. All her brothers were yelling at once.  
  
"How could you?!"  
  
"You can't do this!"  
  
"We are not going to let our little sister marry some stranger!" Hikaru felt somewhat comforted by her overprotective brothers, but knew she couldn't escape the decisions of her parents.  
  
She thought to herself, A husband? At this age? But, she was in love with a different life than this, one that she chose to leave behind....  
  
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Umi woke with a start. She rested her throbbing head on her hand, as she tried to remember what had made her wake up. She noticed she was sweating, and jumped out of her bed. She looked out the window, hoping to see that mid-morning sunshine, but found only a cloudy sky.  
  
Running her fingers through her long, blue locks, she concentrated hard. What had disturbed me so much?, she asked herself. She seemed to remember that it had something to do with Hikaru, her little best friend. Umi then recalled that the little girl had been in pain in her dream.  
  
She sat down at her desk, still trying to remember the whole dream, or was it a nightmare? She looked down at her desk, and saw a music box, her favorite music box, lying closed in the center. Someone had given it to her only a year or two ago, on her birthday, and she cherished it so. Absentmindedly, Umi opened it, and up popped a little bride. The little figure spun around and around to the disheartened melody. But then, Umi noticed something different about her music box. The hair on the beautiful bride used to be black.....not red.....  
  
Then she gasped. Umi covered her mouth, and felt faint, as she started to breathe faster and faster. She now remembered her dream, about Hikaru, and her arranged marriage. Umi cast a glance back at the sad bride, but realized that she had just imagined the red hair adorning it. Then, she collapsed on her bed.  
  
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Fuu was taking a leisurely walk in the park, pondering her life. She had already graduated early from that prep school she went to, skipping a few grades along the way. Yet, she didn't know what she should do next with her life.  
  
Fuu played with her hair, twirling it around her finger, as she strolled by many, many trees. They reminded her of the best adventure she had ever had, and the place she would be able to revisit soon. Maybe I should just go and live there, she thought to herself. I should stay there with the people I love so dearly.  
  
Suddenly, she saw a traditional Japanese garden, and sat on the bridge extending over the little lake. She dangled her feet over the edge, looking into the clear reflection of the water. She stared more closely, watching as some odd, large goldfish swam by. But, not all of them were the usual orange color. There were three in particular, swimming underneath Fuu, that interested her very much.  
  
The large,unusual fish stuck together in a trio. One was light blue, the largest, but the emerald green one wasn't much smaller. The last of the group was a tiny red one, flitting back and forth as if it were excited. Fuu wished that she could understand animals, like her best friend, Hikaru, as she stared down at the fish. Then, something strange occurred. The little red fish was taken away by one of the other ones. It tried to go back, but the other, normal fish held it back from the other unique fish.  
  
Fuu watched this with detached curiousity, wondering how fish could act so strangely, when something clicked in her brain. Fuu, her face stricken with fear, got up from the bridge. She need to see her best friends Umi, and more importantly, Hikaru, immediately... 


	2. Journey

Sorry that I haven't posted in a while guys......I just had finals, and man were they a KILLER!!!......blech.......Well, anyways, on with the fic!!  
  
~Thanks to my reviewers too!! You make me feel all special inside.....teehee......  
  
Hikaru-1989: I WILL continue! (as a matter of fact, I'm continuing it now!)  
  
Eechan: I know....the matchmaker is the devil.....but you'll see why she's here soon enough....muahahaha :)......  
  
TerrierLee: Don't worry, you'll see who I pair up with who soon enough....and I promise I'll stay true to the manga, okay?  
  
Krylancelo: It won't stay sad for soon.....  
  
Saturnfan: No matter what anyone says, the manga is ALWAYS better!  
  
Jereni: You stalker!! *bops you on the head with a "Happy Birthday" balloon*  
  
~Disclaimer: Do you really need one at this point?? Yo no tengo MKR! (I don't have/own MKR)  
  
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Chapter 2  
  
Hikaru stared blankly out of that window. It had been a week since that disastrous announcement of her engagement to that boy named Yuri.  
  
Drip. Drip. Drip. It seemed that the rain would never stop falling. The storms had started a day after the horrible visit, even though it was supposed to be midsummer in Japan. This made Hikaru even more depressed. She even wondered if she should go to the monthly meeting that was supposed to be held in a matter of days. She suspected that she should just stay home, since the wedding preparations had already gone underway.  
  
As people rushed around the house, busying themselves with decorations, or reservations, or the like, the redhead just glanced out the window, her heart ready to break into a million pieces. Hikaru felt one tear, then another roll down her cheek, remembering all those good times she had had with her very best friends in the whole world, Umi and Fuu.  
  
Just as she was thinking of them, she saw a blonde blur and a blue blur rush down the pathway to her house and towards the door. A few moments later, rapid knocking was heard. Hikaru waited for someone downstairs to answer it, but only heard her mom yelling, "If you're not going to help us with your own wedding, then at least answer the door!" Hikaru dragged herself from the window and walked to the front of the house, where someone was still impatiently knocking. She opened the door, then smiled at what she saw.  
  
"You're telling me that you had a dream about her?" Fuu was shouting at the top of her lungs.  
  
"Well, its better than magical, fortune telling fish!" Umi screamed back as she was about to bang on the door again. She stopped midway when she saw the grinning Hikaru standing in the doorway. "Hikaru!" Umi gushed, taking the girl into her arms and hugging her like her life depended on it.  
  
"We were so worried!" Fuu said, her eyes reflecting the panic in her eyes. "We thought you would be gone....."  
  
"Mmmph....mmmph....." Hikaru said as her face turned from red to purple to a very dark shade of blue.  
  
"Umm, Umi? I think you're choking her," Fuu remarked, pointing at the colored face of their "little sister."  
  
Umi looked at Hikaru, who was about to lose consciousness, and let go of her. "Oops, sorry..." she said, scratching the back of her head nervously. Hikaru bent over, her hands rsting the weight of her small body on her knees.  
  
In between gasps, she choked out, "Umi! *huff* Your hair! *huff, puff* Different!" After that, Hikaru collapsed into Fuu's arms. Fuu, surprised, carried her inside the house and into her bedroom, Umi trailing behind.  
  
Fuu placed her on the bed. "Wow, she's gotten heavier.....Think she's grown a bit?"  
  
Umi, who was eyeing her hair with concern, replied with a, "Huh?"  
  
Fuu turned around. "I said, she's grown a little, I think!" The smart girl glanced at Umi, who was still fooling with her light blue hair. She squinted her green eyes. Umi stared back, then hopped back, covering her mouth.  
  
"You aren't wearing glasses!"  
  
"You cut your hair!"  
  
Both stood back from each other in amazement for a few seconds, then, giggling like hyenas, began talking rapidly.  
  
"Oh my gosh! You look so good without your glasses! Like when we first used the Spirits!" "I haven't ever seen you with short hair! I've got to say, it really suits you!"  
  
"Thanks! My mom made me get it cut. She said it was far too long for a girl of my age...."  
  
"Well, it is prettier shorter though....Is it layered too?"  
  
"Sure is! Got it done last month while we were staying in France. How about you?"  
  
"Oh, laser eye surgery. It's the latest thing!"  
  
"What's going on?" Hikaru said from her bed, as Hikari licked her face over and over again.  
  
"Oh, Umi cut her hair!"  
  
"I know that!" Hikaru said, getting up. She rubbed her eyes a little bit, then looked from Umi to Fuu. Then, the small girl's eyes widened in surprise. "No glasses, Fuu!"  
  
"Yup!" she replied. Fuu grinned, and Hikaru giggled. Hikaru gave a humongous hug to Fuu, while Umi looked on, scratching her chin.  
  
"You did grow, Hikaru-san!" Umi squealed, clapping her hands. Hikaru let go of Fuu for a moment, looking like her normal naive self.  
  
"I did?" She looked at her body as if something embarrassing were on her clothes, like a menstrual stain or something of that sort.  
  
"Yeah! You're as tall as Fuu!"  
  
"She is not!" Fuu said, getting all huffed up. She grew red as she crossed her arms in front of her chest.  
  
"Yes, she is!" Umi grabbed the stiff Fuu and the confuse Hikaru, and placed them back to back. And indeed, their little friend had grown up.  
  
"Oh, I can't believe it!" Umi said, wiping away a tear. "Our little sister, all grown up!"  
  
"Oh, I remember when she was this big!" Fuu joined in, forgetting her anger. She drew an imaginary line at her shoulder, demonstrating Hikaru's height when they had first met her.  
  
Hikaru stared at the ground uncomfortably. "I think I know why I grew...."  
  
Both Umi and Fuu stopped gushing over the newly taller Hikaru and stared blankly at her. "I grew because......I matured a little bit. I had to, because....." Hikaru paused, looking like she was going to start crying at any moment.  
  
"I have to get married......" Umi clapped her hands over her mouth, and Fuu just stood there, trying to process the information just given to her.  
  
"Then my dream.....it was true?!"  
  
"The fish.....in the pond....You're gonna leave us behind?!" All three started sobbing, and hugged each other like they had years before, after their very first visit to a wonderful, terrible land.  
  
"It's not fair! IT'S NOT FAIR!!" they all cried out, as they had done on that same day. They cried for a long while.  
  
"But who? Who is this guy?" Fuu sobbed.  
  
"She's getting married to me...." someone from the corner of the room replied. A tall, blonde boy stepped out from the dark shadow, smirking. "She's my wife now, Miss Waong said so!"  
  
"Who's Miss Waong?" Umi said, advancing toward the boy, tear stains still evident on her face.  
  
"The Chinese matchmaker that promised me to his family...." Hikaru said, looking at the ground again.  
  
"From now on, I have to cherish her for the rest of my life!"  
  
"Cherish? Huh, more stalk!" Hikaru said, rolling her eyes.  
  
"What?" Fuu and Umi said, looking from the handsome boy to the strong- willed girl.  
  
"He follows me 24/7!" she whispered, gesturing toward him.  
  
"Hey, I heard that!" he said, placing his hands on his hips. "Besides, you're mine now anyway!'  
  
"We're not letting anyone take our dear Hikaru-san away!" Umi yelled, the anger welling up inside of her. She grabbed Hikaru and started to drag her away. Fuu followed, and stuck her tongue out at a bewildered Yuri before she left the room.  
  
Umi, still clutching Hikaru's hand, broke into a run. Fuu caught up with them, grabbing Hikaru's other hand.  
  
"Where are we going?" Fuu gasped as they ran farther and farther away from Hikaru's house.  
  
"You know where we're going," Umi said, a stern, steely look on her face. They kept running, Hikaru falling behind. What are we going to do?, she thought as Umi stopped in front of a huge mansion.  
  
"Wait here..." she said, and she was in and out of the beautiful house in a flash. In her arms, she carried a music box. "You need anything?" she said, looking at Hikaru, then at Fuu. Fuu smiled, and held up her hand. On her ring finger glistened a pretty ring. Hikaru shook her head and smiled. She needed nothing but her dear friends. Umi returned the smile to Fuu and Hikaru, and they went running again.  
  
Soon, Umi's intentions were made clear when they arrived at the foot of Tokyo Tower. Before they knew it, they were up at the top, holding hands in a circle. "Everyone ready?" Hikaru said, happy for the first time in weeks. Fuu and Umi nodded to her, as they concentrated their thoughts on the land they all knew and loved: Cephiro. The ground began to give way as their little group glowed brightly, and they were about to descend to places unknown to other humans when......  
  
"NO!! My beloved!! Wait for me!" Someone ran into their circle and disappeared with them on their journey to a distant world. 


	3. Happy Reunion

Thank you, Saturnfan, Jereni, and Terrier Lee for reviewing you guys!! It makes me feel *sniff* soo special....And I promise to all my readers out there, the story will get much better!! I know it started out on a so dramatic, depressing note, but it will go uphill from there!  
  
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Chapter 3  
  
Hikaru, used to falling through the Cephiro sky, twirled through the air as if she were skydiving. With a thud, and a *flap, flap*, she was picked up by none other than the lovable flying fish, Fyula.  
  
"Fyula!" she squealed, hugging and kissing the fish. "Oh, it's so good to see you, Fyula-san!" Then, she lay back in the fish, her hands behind her head and her eyes closed. A couple of screams were heard from above, getting louder and louder. Then, *thump, thump* Umi and Fuu landed on either side of her, swirly-eyed.  
  
Hikaru opened one eye. "What took you so long?"  
  
"Well, we're sorry we're not really used to falling hundreds of feet, Miss Pillar," Umi said, shaking her head and fixing her clothes. Fuu smiled and gave a wink to Hikaru, and al three of them lay back down to stare at the clear blue sky.  
  
Suddenly, a high-pitched scream came to their ears. "What's that?" Fuu asked, getting up to see.  
  
Umi covered her mouth. "Oh my......There was someone who did run into our transport circle....."  
  
Hikaru looked up at what they were staring at, then rolled her eyes. "It's my stalker," she sighed as Yuri tumbled through the sky and barely caught onto Fyula's tail. Fuu gave Umi a concerned look. They had brought her to Cephiro to take her away from Yuri, not to give them an early honeymoon! Umi shot that same concerned gaze at Hikaru, who was staring at the sky carelessly again, ignoring the fact the her future husband was trying to climb up the fish to them.  
  
Umi grabbed Fuu by her shirt and pulled her closer, growling through clenched teeth, "How did he get here?! No matter what, we're the only three who can transport to Cephiro!"  
  
"Remember that one time when that dog ran in?"  
  
"But, Fuu! He wasn't transported! At least, all the way...." Umi and Fuu shuddered at the memory of coming back to Earth, seeing the newspapers full of pictures of a dog stuck halfway through the ground.... Umi bit her lip. "Besides, humans have passed through our circle without noticing too before, and they were never taken with us....." Fuu stared down at the flying fish, twisting the cherished ring around her finger. Umi still had her music box under one arm, and began to look at her beloved present too.  
  
"We're here!" Hikaru announced, bouncing off of the fish. "Thank you, Fyula!" she said, kissing Fyula.  
  
"Don't I get one?" Yuri asked as he fell, and not gracefully, off the huge creature.  
  
"In your dreams," Hikaru replied in a tone that Umi and Fuu had never heard her use before. The little girl was definitely fed up with the unwanted attention. She flipped back her braided hair and began to strut on down towards the palace, the boy following her, begging for just one kiss.  
  
Fuu shrugged. "I wonder if they'll be expecting us so soon......"  
  
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"Oh my gosh! They're here?! NOW?!!!" Clef exclaimed as he looked out of the window down below, where the Magic Knights were disembarking off his fish. He turned around and began running towards the main doors, his robes flying behind him.  
  
"Where's the fire, Clef?" Presea said as she watched the little old man hurry towards the entrance. In her arms was a huge basket full of sweets identical to the one the Hikaru had given her on their first meeting.  
  
"Can'ttalkgottagobye!" he replied. [Translation: Can't talk gotta go bye!]  
  
Eagle and Geo were throwing around Mokona as if the little creampuff were a ball when Clef rushed past them, a blur of purple and white. They dropped the Creator, who didn't seem to mind, as a gust of wind and a huge cloud came over them. "Wonder what's gotten into him?" Geo said, scratching his head.  
  
"No idea....hey, where'd the marshmallow go?" They looked up and down the huge hallway they were playing in, until they saw Mokona waddling off in the direction of Clef. "There he is!" Eagle yelled, pointing to the white creature. The two Autozam natives broke into a run after Mokona, who, too, began running, and at a very fast pace for something of its size.  
  
Zazu walked out of the kitchen and into the hall with the Chizetian sisters Tarta and Tatra. He hiccuped as he saw the small Clef heading towards them at breakneck speed. "Hey *hiccup* Clef dude....want some of this wine I found?" Tatra giggled, while Tarta looked on disapprovingly.  
  
Clef simply rushed past them, followed by an extremely fast Mokona and a miffed Eagle and Geo. Geo grabbed onto the bottle of wine and tried to take a drink while he was running, but found Zazu still attached to it. Zazu was now trying to keep up with the older men, and Tatra ran after, demanding more drinks. Tarta rolled her eyes and started to jog after them.  
  
Clef huffed and puffed tiredly as he was about to reach the garden near the entrance to the palace. The whole bunch ran on by, leaving trails of billowing dust behind them. Tarta, running out of breath, peeked into the garden. "Hey, something's up!" she called to Ascot.  
  
The palu turned around and squinted at Tarta. "What's wrong?"  
  
"No idea," a confused Presea said as she arrived next to the Chizeta princess.  
  
"Well, should we get Caldina and Lafarga?" Ascot said, concerned.  
  
Presea and Tarta exchanged sly smiles. "They're quite busy...." they said in unison.  
  
"Let's go see what's the matter then!" Ascot said, running off toward the main doors of the palace.  
  
Clef came to a smooth stop in front of Hikaru, Umi, Fuu, and some stranger. He bowed, or rather, bent over to take a few deep breaths. The little guru propped himself up in his staff to look into the eyes of the great warriors, the Magic Knights.  
  
"You.....came......so....soon!" All of a sudden, the rest of the residents came running outside. Eagle, Geo, Zazu, and Tarta all ran into Clef and landed in a huge, jumbled pile at the feet of the three young women.  
  
"Err...you okay?" Fuu said, lending a hand to the group.  
  
"Hikaru!" Presea yelled out, clapping her hands. The pharle ran down to greet the girl who was like her little sister, hugging her so tight that she couldn't breathe. When Presea finally let her go, the red head was tackled by Mokona.  
  
"Oh, Mokona!" she said as she happily hugged her small friend.  
  
"Puu! Puu!!" it replied.  
  
Umi smiled at the little reunion, and looked up to see Ascot standing there, dazed. He took off his hat for a moment and ran his fingers through his hair, breathing in a deep sigh. "Umi," he thought to himself as he saw the tall girl wave and give him a beautiful smile. He could have melted right there, if Umi hadn't done something even more unexpected next.  
  
Umi, full of joy, handed her music box to Presea, and galloped up to the tall boy, hugging him. "It's so good to be back!!" she said, as a surprised Ascot returned her hug gratefully.  
  
Hikaru skipped over to Eagle to help him up. He was rubbing his head, his eyes closed, but when he finally caught sight of the pretty girl who saved his life years before, he gave her another huge hug, even more restraining than Presea's. Someone tapped his shoulder, then punched the Autozamian in the face.  
  
Eagle rubbed his face again, then saw who had punched him. "Don't mess with my girl!" Yuri said, putting his dukes up.  
  
Without warning, a gust of wind encircled the happy group as more people arrived. Lantis came down in his horse, and Ferio in one of the transports from Mokona, followed by the ship of Fahren. Ferio, of course, greeted Fuu first, kissing her on the hand like a gentleman.  
  
Lantis, on the other hand, had to break up a fight between one of his best friends and some strange Earth boy, all the while trying to keep Primera out of the way. As Lantis stood between the two, he looked at the seemingly helpless Hikaru with questioning eyes.  
  
She sighed, rolling her eyes. "Lantis, Eagle, meet Yuri," she said, motioning from the men to the boy. "And Yuri, meet Lantis and Eagle," she said, reversing the motion.  
  
Clef interrupted, scratching his head. "Who is this? And how did he get here?"  
  
Now, everyone had diverted their attention to Hikaru and the guys, including Princess Aska and Sanyun, who had just gotten out of their ship. Hikaru looked up innocently. "He came here by mistake when he ran into our transport circle....Yuri is my fiance...." Everyone fell down, except for Hikaru.  
  
Primera buzzed around, and shot her fist in the air. "YESS!!!" she screamed in her tiny voice. "LANTIS IS MINE!!!!" Lantis's eyes grew wide with horror, as he tried in vain to get away from the extremely hyper pixie.  
  
At that moment, someone called, "Yoohoo!!!" Caldina and Lafarga were standing, confused at the entrance of the palace, wearing each other's clothes and looking very disheveled. 


	4. Plans

Thank you so much for reviewing, guys!! *sniff* It makes me feel sooooo loved!  
  
Jamie: Hope you're not too confused...because of the abrupt changes and all....  
  
krylancelo: Thanks! ^_^ I was aiming for much happier.....and don't you worry! It will get even more happier, not to mention more hyper!  
  
Jereni: Thanks to you too!! See ya at school!! *bops you on the head with birthday balloon* muahaha......  
  
Anima Mouse: Glad you like my writing so much!  
  
Moon_Kitsune: I will continue!! In fact, I am continuing now!!!  
  
twin_ascot: Well, if ASMI=Ascot/Umi, I'm sure I can make you very happy........  
  
~AN: To the people who desire Umi/Clef..... I am assuming have only seen the anime, and not read the manga. I know I shouldn't assume because it makes and ass out of u and me, but I am just here to inform you right now: this is strictly based on manga only!! That means Umi will go with Ascot!! Got it? Good......oh yeah, and other pairings.......Well, obviously, Fuu/Ferio, and Hikaru......well, you'll see in this next chapter anyway!!!  
  
~Disclaimer: I don't own the MKR.....But I do own Ascot........*kidnaps tall, dark and handsome palu* Muahahaha.....  
  
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Chapter 4!  
  
Hikaru stared at the two adults at the top of the stairs, scratching her head and wondering just how Lafarga could have gotten on those tight spandex clothes. While she stared innocently up at the blushing couple, Yuri tried to land a punch on Lantis, who casually stepped aside, avoiding the hit easily. Yuri took another swing, and missed once again. After the earth boy tried once more in vain, Eagle made a move to tackle him to the ground. Just as Eagle was about to slam into Yuri, Clef stepped in and intervened, getting the full blast of Eagle's anger.  
  
"Get off me!" Clef cried out, since Eagle was squishing him to death. Eagle obeyed, fearful of the power that the little old man held in his staff. Clef got up and looked around at the bewildered assortment of people. In a loud booming voice that you wouldn't expect from such a tiny person, he proclaimed, "That's it! Men, to the garden! And women, report to the Knights's room!"  
  
"Err, Clef?" Presea inquired. "Why, may I ask, are you sending us away?"  
  
"We need to get that raving lunatic in a safe place and figure out just what to do with him!"  
  
"And separating us into guys and girls will help us.....how?"  
  
"The boys can contain Yuri, and the girls can console Hikaru."  
  
"Uh, I don't really need consoling right now though..." Hikaru replied sheepishly.  
  
"Oh, don't ask questions! Just do as I say!" With that, Lantis and Eagle each grabbed one of Yuri's arms, dragging him in the direction of the garden, and Hikaru, Umi, Fuu, and the rest of the ladies made their way to the luxurious room made for the Magic Knights.  
  
Primera fluttered about Lantis's head, still screaming, "Mine! ALL MINE!" That is, until Mokona hopped up to her and engulfed her in its humongous mouth, carrying the tenacious pixie away to stay with the women. Clef sighed, and decided to clear his own thoughts in his room. First, he needed to figure out why the Knights had come early. Then, there was the prospect of dealing with that bratty earth man.....  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Yuri dug his heels into the ground, trying to release himself from Lantis and Eagle. He ground his teeth, and tried to kick his captors, but to no avail. By the time they had reached a great fountain in the middle of the foliage, he was too tired to run away.  
  
Ascot, saddened by being torn away from Umi so fast, called his monsters to him, ordering the creatures to keep watch over the weary, but still feisty Yuri. Then, he plopped down on the fountain's edge, hanging his head a little bit low.  
  
Zazu was the last to stumble in before the men, and hiccuped, smiling at the group around him. "Mind if I give him some spirits?" the youth giggled as he raised his wine bottle.  
  
"No, Zazu, don't!" Geo said at once. Zazu then smiled, and began wobbling towards the direction where Yuri was being held captive. But then, he wobbled the other way, back towards the congregation of males, and soon found himself head first into the fountain. Ascot, who was mildly amused, grabbed the back of Zazu's shirt and pulled him back up.  
  
"That's some strange alcohol...." Zazu sputtered. "Tastes just like water...." Everyone rolled their eyes.  
  
"Well, what are we going to do about him?" Lantis said through clenched teeth as he motioned to where Yuri was resting.  
  
  
  
"No idea," Fuu was just saying. Umi paced the floor, her chin in her hand as she looked at the ground thoughtfully.  
  
"The Goddess has an idea!" Caldina said, jumping up in her baggy clothing. Hikaru snapped her head up. She was just thinking about how Lantis and Eagle had defended her without question from Yuri's unwanted advances......  
  
"I say we let those boys......"  
  
  
  
  
  
"....Beat the crap outta him!" Geo said at once, punching his fist into his other hand.  
  
"No good," Lafarga replied, sitting uncomfortably. He tried to adjust the weird material he had on, but it just wasn't working at all. "Maybe we should just......"  
  
  
  
  
  
".....Let Presea torture him!" Umi said, her voice triumphant.  
  
Presea got that evil look on her face. "Ho ho ho....what should I do?" Then, she got out her Indian headdress and began dancing around like a maniac again.  
  
"Not a good idea....it might just, you know....get the kid aroused...." Caldina started saying. They all turned to her, surprised looks on their faces. "OH! Not that I would know about anything like that........."  
  
  
  
  
  
".......I mean, not that I haven't done anything like that......" Lafarga said, twisting his fingers nervously.  
  
"Sure, ya have, Lafarga ol' buddy!" Geo said, slapping him on the back.  
  
"I have an idea!" Ferio announced. "Have......"  
  
  
  
  
  
"....Ascot sick his monsters on Yuri!" Tarta added. "I mean, we could cover him in some sweet stuff, like honey, and those hideous creatures will be on to him like......errr...bees on honey!"  
  
"Ummm......we don't want him dead, you know....." Hikaru piped up. "I mean....."  
  
  
  
  
  
".....I don't want my friends to cause any permanent damage to him or anything," Ascot said, looking towards where these so called friends still kept watch over the earthling.  
  
"Say," Eagle said, scratching his chin. "What about......"  
  
  
  
  
  
"........The Mashin!" Hikaru bubbled. All the girls went deep into thought, picturing the three giant spirits towering over little Yuri, and Rayearth plucking off the poor boy with one flick of a finger. They all shook their heads in dismay.  
  
"Hmm," Princess Aska mused. "How about we....."  
  
  
  
  
  
"Use the illusion strings!" Sanyun cried out. "I can smuggle them away from Princess Aska and...."  
  
"Do the same thing as the Mashin would do?" Ferio said, finishing off the sentence. "No good. But we could unleash...."  
  
  
  
  
  
"......Mokona on him!" Fuu cried out. "See, our holy creature can open his mouth real wide and......"  
  
"NO!" Umi said, bursting her best friend's bubble. "It doesn't eat, remember!"  
  
As she was saying that, a little Primera was able to break free of Mokona's mouth. She flew up from where the creature was sitting passively, and flew right up to Umi's face. "Doesn't eat, huh? THEN WHAT JUST HAPPENED TO ME?!" The blue girl began to sob, sinking lower and lower, until she was crouched on the ground, crying her eyes out. "No one loves me........"  
  
  
  
  
  
"That's not true!" Eagle said, shaking Lantis. "Of course someone loves you!" Some of the other guys started gagging.  
  
"Of course not me!" Eagle said in reply to the grossed out faces. "I was talking about......"  
  
  
  
  
  
"Me!" Hikaru was saying. "I want to do something! I can't just stand around and let everyone else do it for me...." She sat back down, as everyone went back into deep thought.  
  
Umi was pacing around the room once again. What was she supposed to do? How could she help her friend? Then, a ridiculous idea popped into her head. "Oh my gosh! We could do that thing they did in that one American movie thingy!"  
  
"Ah-mare-eee-can? Moo-vee? What's that?" Tarta asked.  
  
"Oh, our Umi's a globetrotter on Earth," Fuu replied knowledgeably.  
  
"Oh, what's it called?!" Umi said, ignoring Tarta and Fuu. She racked her brains out, trying to think of what it was titled.... "I got it! It was called, 'How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days!"  
  
"Oooh...sounds positively evil!" Presea gushed, pulling out her headdress again.  
  
"Let's see......" Umi said, already developing an elaborate scheme. "Princess Aska?"  
  
"Yes?" the mature lady answered.  
  
"Please use your illusion strings to make Hikaru, how shall we say it, undesirable?"  
  
"We are pleased to help in any way we can! But, Miss Umi? The strings don't work like that...."  
  
"Oh....Okay then, Caldina? Use your, uh, goddess-ness to make over Hikaru into the worst thing you can!"  
  
"This is not how I wanted to be a part of this!" Hikaru whined. Primera stopped her sobbing for a few brief moments. "Hikaru? Ugly? LANTIS IS MINE AGAIN!"  
  
"Well, that means we'll just have to bait the guy with someone even better! Who thinks they could lure Yuri away from Hikaru?"  
  
"This Goddess is taken!" Caldina yelled.  
  
"Uh, he's too young for me...." Presea said, looking at the ground.  
  
"And too old for me!" Princess Aska added.  
  
"I wouldn't date him if my life depended on it!" Tarta said, crossing her arms across her chest.  
  
"Why not?" Tatra said. The older sister got on her feet, seeming to have recovered from all that booze she had had earlier. "I mean, that kid's a total hottie!" Tatra giggled and hiccuped again, a sure sign that she certainly hadn't sobered up yet. Tarta pushed her down back into her seat, groaning about how embarrassing her sister was.  
  
"Well, we'll figure out something....." Fuu said, looking up at the pretty ceiling.  
  
"Yeah!" Hikaru said cheerily. She was happy that they weren't going to turn her into a hideous beast. She thrust her fist into the air. "We can start the plan off tomorrow!" 


	5. Time for Action!

I'M SO SORRY!!! I've been out for so long with strep throat.....but hey! I'm back and ready with a whole new chapter just for you!!!  
  
But first, some commercials....teehee.....  
  
To Grey fox and CX-chan: I'm very sorry about the karate/kung-fu kendo mix- up......I knew it started with a K, but that's all I could think of.....I'll try and change it soon, kay?  
  
animecrazy: Thank you! I just happened to have that Japanese name handy....hehe  
  
Peacenikky: Oh, you simply must read Rayearth II!! It's very good, and explains a whole lot more about the Magic Knights....and I'm glad you like my fic!  
  
krylancelo: Don't worry, if I do have to make Hikaru look like an old hag, it won't be for long at all....  
  
Ascot Summon: I'm happy you liked it! Hope you come back for more!  
  
Jereni: *ahem* HE'S SO MINE!! *takes back Ascot*  
  
Kagome and Eva: I know, Yuri is so bad....I made him that way...muahaha.....  
  
Anima Mouse and PiKACHUFAN4288: Of course I'll keep writing! I'll be writing until the world ends in a nuclear war!! (of course, that might be soon......*sob*)  
  
Meli: You love my story?! *sniff* I feel so touched....  
  
Me: Short and sweet......teehee  
  
NOW!!! ON WITH THE FIC!!!  
  
Disclaimer: Me no own MKR!  
  
************************************************************************  
  
Chapter 5!  
  
Hikaru got up from bed the next morning and stretched out her arms, yawning so that she resembled a hippo with its mouth wide open. Before she could even close her mouth from the humongous yawn, she was ambushed by several people wearing masks on their faces.  
  
The redhead tried to shake them off, and longed for her sword as her attackers gagged her with a scarf. They held back her arms and legs as someone else entered the room, carrying a curling iron and a makeup case. Hikaru's eyes became the size of dinner plates.  
  
"Ho ho ho....." the person laughed wickedly, grabbing her Indian headdress again. Hikaru, still being restrained, started shaking her head vigorously, striving to get away for her captors, but not succeeding in one little bit. She tried to scream, but only a muffled sound came out.....  
An hour later, the girls removed their masks, looking proudly at their handy work. There Hikaru sat on the bed, still gagged but too tired to get up and run away. Umi yanked the scarf off of her mouth so that she could speak.  
  
"Whyyyyyy?" she whined pitifully.  
  
Fuu looked to the ground in shame. "Sorry Hikaru-chan......we had to! It's all part of our plan....."  
  
Princess Aska held up a glistening mirror to Hikaru's eyes. No sooner had she done so did Hikaru jump up and start backing away from the others.  
  
"What? I think it looks nice!" Tatra remarked. She hiccuped. "Yeah! All three of you!" The Chizetian princess pointed to Hikaru, then to the empty spaces on each side of her. That was before she tipped backwards, falling into Caldina's arms.  
  
"That's it, no more tequila shots for you honey....." the other woman said, dragging the drunken girl away. They all sighed, then looked back to Hikaru's shocked face.  
  
"I look horrible!" she cried out, sobbing.  
  
"Are you saying that I do bad makeovers?!" Presea said, hands on her hips. Hikaru stared at the pharle, then back at her reflection. A reflection bearing the image of a girl with wild, curly red hair sticking out like a mound of cotton candy on her head, and a face covered in the most atrocious colors of makeup: red lipstick on and all around her lips, dark blue eye shadow all the way up to her eyebrows, and so much pink blush that Hikaru looked more like a badly made doll than a human being. The girl that controlled the mashin Rayearth sobbed again, and started rubbing her eyes.  
  
"No! Don't do that! You'll ruin the whole thing!" Umi said, waving her arms frantically.  
  
"Besides, we must get you in a different outfit...." Tarta was saying, rubbing her chin. Hikaru's wails grew increasingly louder.  
  
"Oh, my little Hikaru," Fuu intervened. "Please cheer up! You know that you won't be able to get rid of Yuri without this plan!" Hikaru stopped her crying, wiped away one last tear, and put on a brave face. Her makeup had already started running a bit.  
  
"Okay, I'll do it! Suit me up and tell me what to do!"  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Yuri roamed around the palace by himself early in the morning. He was able to escape the grasp of the guys and the monsters while they were still sleeping, and was sneaking around the giant columns lining the hallway, looking left and right before he made his next move. After sneaking slyly from one column to the next, he stopped behind one to look at his watch.  
  
"Haruka," he whispered to his wrist. "I'm in!"  
  
"Good!" replied a tiny voice. "Now, continue on with our plan....and hurry! If you lose the girl, it's curtains for both worlds alike!"  
  
"Roger that," he said. Lowering his wrist, he looked left and right again for any sign of a person coming down the corridor. Seeing no one, he ducked into the nearest door, hoping it was the kitchen. Those alien men had left him to starve all night!  
  
Yuri was right on target. He entered the kitchen, and looked to a box standing in the corner. Curious, he crept to it. It was long and flat, almost as if it were another, higher part of the floor. He opened the lid and was surprised to see that it was the Cephiro version of a refrigerator. Taking out a drumstick of a chicken, along with various other foods, he ducked out of the kitchen and walked without care down the hall.  
  
He was concentrating on biting the chicken and balancing the rest of the edibles in his arms when someone came up behind him. That someone tapped him on the shoulder, causing Yuri to jump ten feet into the air, dropping all of the precious leftovers.  
  
Yuri turned slowly around, then nearly jumped again at the sight of Hikaru in the ugliest dress ever. She was smiling in the most disturbing way.  
  
"Hello, loverboy," she said sexily, advancing on him. He backed away slowly, the drumstick still in his mouth. "What's wrong? I won't bite..."  
  
Yuri's eyes opened widely as she backed him all the way up against one of the columns. She traced a slow circle on his chest. Yuri began to freak out at this point. Oh god, he thought to himself. What am I supposed to do?!  
  
Then, he remembered his duty. He spit out the chicken and began to respond to Hikaru's unwanted advances. "So, you really did have the hots for me, did you?" he said, grinning.  
  
Behind another column, Tatra fainted again. The other girls started fanning her and dragging her back behind the column immediately. "He's such a hottie!" Tatra said with a goofy smile on her face.  
  
"Snap out of it sister!" Tarta said, nearly slapping her. "Hikaru's in big trouble now!" The other girls watched from their hiding place as Yuri turned the tables on Hikaru, who was now the one backing away.  
  
"C'mon, just one kiss..." he said, leaning in close to Hikaru's makeup- caked face. At that point, she chickened out and started running as fast as she could to no where in particular.  
  
Yuri stood bewildered. Didn't she just want him a moment ago? Then all of a sudden, several other girls tumbled out from behind a column in front of him, landing one on top of the other. Umi was on top, and heaved a giant sigh.  
  
"That's one day down, 9 to go....."  
  
"No, we should get this done faster!" Fuu complained from the middle of the stack.  
  
"Maybe by her birthday...it's in 5 days after all....." Presea said from under Fuu.  
  
"Okay, fine! Then it's How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days or Less!" Aska mumbled from the bottom. "Now, will you please just get off me!" They all got up one by one, straightening their clothes and rubbing aching limbs.  
  
At that point, Mokona hopped in happily. Caldina rubbed the holy creature's head. "Aww, did you two have a nice night?"  
  
"Puu!!" Mokona's mouth opened up when it said this, and a sopping Primera burst out.  
  
"Nice night?" she said slowly. "Nice night?! I'LL GIVE YOU A NICE NIGHT!!" The little blue pixie flew into a rage, trying her hardest to beat up all of the other women, but not succeeding.  
  
"Oh, that tickles!" Tarta remarked sarcastically as Primera continually punched and kicked her in the arm. Primera floated, exhausted, to the ground. Her breathing was uneven and gasping as she sat, defeated, on the cool marble floor.  
  
The girls were still discussing when Yuri walked up to them. Still very confused, he crouched down to the ignored little fairy. "This can't be real...." he said amazed, grabbing one of Primera's wings in between two fingers and pulling it out. "But then again, I did sleep with monsters last night, and they certainly weren't under my bed..."  
  
"What are you babbling about, mister!!!" Primera growled angrily, tearing her wings away from the human. With that, she buzzed away. Yuri stared at the other girls, who were still talking, or rather, nearly starting a cat fight. He shrugged his shoulders, picked his food back up, and walked away.  
  
He would look for Hikaru after he finished eating.....  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Hikaru ran to the garden and sat, sobbing at the fountain. It was nearly the afternoon now, and several hours had passed since the incident had occurred. She looked at the reflection of a disaster in the water and plunged her face into it, scrubbing the makeup off as much as she could with her hands. Then, she sunk her hair into the cool, clear water.  
  
When she came up again, she was drenched, but back to normal. She looked back into the fountain to see the mess of the morning being purified and taken away. When the water cleared, she saw her reflection once again, and grinned at her comforting, usual self.  
  
"Well, that's that! No more pretending to be ugly!"  
  
"No way you can be ugly," someone said. Hikaru turned around in surprise to face a stern looking Lantis, who was leaning forward to examine her face. He cupped her chin in his hand and turned her head to see her pretty features.  
  
Hikaru became flushed, realizing how close Lantis's face - and lips - were to hers. She looked down and grinned shyly. She was sure he could hear her heart beating through her chest. To her, it sounded like a loud drum.  
  
After a few moments of silence, Lantis straightened up again, then began to walk away. "I have to look for Yuri.....it seems we have lost him...."  
  
Hikaru gave him a nod, even though she knew he wouldn't see it. She watched as his tall figure disappeared into the trees of the garden. A little bit saddened, but still high off the encounter, Hikaru wandered through the forest like garden, taking in all the beautiful sights and wonderful aromas all the plants were giving off.  
  
After walking a short while, she came to a familiar clearing. She glanced around, then smiled when she caught sight of a certain palu caring for his friends.  
  
The mischievous little redhead formed another one of her wild plans in her head, then crept up behind Ascot. She was standing right behind him, not making a sound, when......  
  
"HI ASCOT!! DID YOU KNOW UMI STILL HAS THAT MUSIC BOX YOU GAVE HER?!"  
  
For the second time that day, Hikaru made a boy much taller than she was jump ten feet into the air. Shaken, Ascot looked down at the grinning Hikaru, taking off his puffy hat and rubbing his head.  
  
"Oh, what was that? She still has her music box?" Ascot then blushed. "Oh no, that wasn't from me though....."  
  
Hikaru giggled uncontrollably. "Of course it was! You gave it to her for her last birthday, when she turned 16, remember?"  
  
Ascot grew even redder. "Oh, but wasn't it from an anonymous person? Probably Clef or something...."  
  
"You silly! Clef doesn't like anyone, remember?" Hikaru exclaimed, forgetting her own problems. "Everyone knows it's from you! You're the only on who could carve a music box from the wood in Cephiro! Plus, you LOVE her!!!" Hikaru pranced about.  
  
"Well, actually, Talon is the only one who could carve the wood....." Ascot motioned to a large animal behind him that resembled a cross between a hawk and a horse. "But that's not the point! And I don't.....at least....she won't......"  
  
"And you're the only one who can control Talon! So you did give it to her!" Hikaru slapped Ascot's shoulder playfully, but he was still rubbing it minute's later while Hikaru waited impatiently for a response.  
  
Ascot just looked at the ground, but couldn't help suppressing a smile. "So, she liked it? She still has it?"  
  
"Yup! She even brought it with her here, and that's the only thing she felt she needed!"  
  
Ascot smiled even wider at this comment. Hikaru's smile was so wide that it looked like it would pour off of her face. Now, to finish playing matchmaker, she said to herself.  
  
"Why don't you ask her to dance at my party on Saturday?"  
  
"Party? What party?"  
  
"Oh, just my extra special 16th birthday party that I'm going to ask Mokona to create for me......"  
  
At that precise point in time, Mokona happened to waddle in, as happy as ever. "Puuu!!"  
  
"What's a dance?"  
  
Hikaru's eyes opened up wide again. She felt as if she would faint. "Are you telling me you don't know what the word DANCE means?!" Ascot nodded his head slowly. Hikaru then grinned. "I can show you!!!" Then she grabbed her ankle, putting her other hand behind her head, and did the most ridiculous dance move on the planet. Ascot stared in wonder at the dancing queen that was Hikaru.  
  
"You earthlings actually do that?"  
  
"Oh, there's plenty more where that came from!" Then the hyper little redhead grabbed Mokona and started waltzing with it, twirling around and around. Ascot slapped his knee.  
  
"OH! You mean prenging!"  
  
"You call it prenging?" Hikaru said, looking awfully naive again.  
  
"Sure! I know how to do that! It's the other thing you did that scares me....."  
  
"Okay then! Ask Umi to, uhh.....preng on Saturday then!"  
  
"You really think she'll say yes?"  
  
"Positive!"  
  
With that, Hikaru skipped away, leaving a confused, but slightly happier Ascot behind. Mokona still her arms, she headed off to her room. She wanted to change back into her regular clothes, since she desperately wanted to have a conference with the girls.....  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Finished? THEN GO REVIEW!!!!! 


	6. Failure?

OMG!!!! I am soooooooooo sorry for leaving you guys in the dark for so long!! I've been so busy lately, cuz school is killing me, and I hadn't even realized that I haven't updated in a MONTH!! Oh, I feel so guilty........  
  
~Thanks to the reviewers!  
  
anime crazy: I'm so sorry that I didn't update faster!  
  
Amara2417: You'll find out about Yuri and Hikaru soon enough...hehe  
  
Cyberdoll-91991: Monster? Hmm....good idea.....we shall see what happens at this party....  
  
Meli: WOOHOO!! Underground fanclub!!  
  
Nessie: Yay! *hugs Ascot*  
  
Ascot Summon: Pranging is something weird that popped into my head....haha  
  
Lilia: Like I said, I'm sorry! And I will write more!!  
  
Rayearth: Okay, I'll try and write faster for the next few chappies!!  
  
NOW, ON WITH THE SHOW!!!! *curtain raises on the characters in the fic*  
  
************************************************************************  
  
Chapter 6  
  
Clef sat in a corner of his room, staring into this big crystal ball. He had been in this position for a very long time now...nearly the whole week. The smoke inside it swirled in a bright color of red. The little old man's eyes were fixed on the fog, his face contorted in confusion.  
  
"I now know why that boy Yuri was able to get here," Clef said, closing his eyes. "But why he came is really beyond me." He rubbed his forehead in frustration as he moved about his room, trying to think. Then, something clicked in his mind, and he dove into a nearby closet, searching for something.  
  
Clef emerged from the dark abyss of the closet, lifting up a glittering bracelet. The little magician pressed a tiny button on it and yelled into it, "HARUKA!! What are you up to?!"  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
While Clef was locked up in his little room, the girls tried everything, even the plans they refused to carry out before. Fuu even took some notes....  
  
*PLAN 1: Make Hikaru ugly.  
  
Result: Failure. Yuri still attracted.  
  
*PLAN 2: Have Presea trap Yuri.  
  
Result: Failure. Candy placed as bait caught not Yuri, but Mokona. [Presea: "I should have used candy when I was trying to catch that fluffball in the first place!!"]  
  
*PLAN 3: Send Ascot's monsters to Yuri to "play."  
  
Result: Failure. Monsters burned Chizetian sisters to a crisp before we could even get near them.  
  
*PLAN 4: Use Mashin to defeat Yuri.  
  
Result: Failure. The spirits of Cephiro can only be summoned in times of great need....and this, apparently, isn't one of those times.  
  
Plan 5 was to let the guys take care of Yuri. But, it was already the day of the long awaited birthday bash for Hikaru! So, the girls ran to inform the guys of the plan....  
  
"Please get rid of Yuri!" Umi pleaded, her hands clenched in prayer as she kneeled before the gathered men. "For Hikaru's sake!"  
  
"But.....why?" Geo asked. "He hasn't caused any trouble, even though he's escaped...... Besides, that guy sort of grows on you. Why do you want us to beat him up?"  
  
"Fools!" Tarta screamed. "How do you know that he really isn't dangerous! For all we know, he's hiding out right now, planning the assassination of the Pillar of Cephiro!"  
  
"Yeah right," Zazu grumpily remarked. He pouted, crossing his arms over his chest in an annoyed way.  
  
"What's wrong with him?" asked Tatra.  
  
Eagle whispered, "We stole his liquor....forced him to be sober!" Lantis elbowed him in the ribs. "Oh yeah," the Autozamanian added, "we also took away his privilege of watching the FTO for being so drunk all the time....."  
  
"OH!" Tatra said, clapping her hands. Tarta pushed her sister over for asking such a stupid question.  
  
Ferio rolled his eyes. "Why can't you take care of that idiot?!"  
  
"Because," Fuu announced. "We've tried numerous times, and it still hasn't worked!" For proof, she showed the prince and the rest of the boys the notes she had taken. "Besides, we've got to decorate for Hikaru's party!"  
  
"YAY!" Hikaru bubbled. "Party in da Palace! Woo!!"  
  
Ferio crossed his arms over his chest. "Fine," he replied, ignoring the hopping Hikaru. "We'll deal with him before tonight."  
  
"Good!" Fuu said, beaming. "Be ready for the ball tonight!" And she and the rest of the girls left, dragging a dancing little redhead along with them. Mokona followed behind them, but not before spitting out a very angry little pixie from his mouth.  
  
"Well, I never!" Primera spat. And she resumed her position above Lantis's shoulder.  
  
"Great...." Zazu said, more bitter than ever. "What are we going to do NOW?"  
  
"Well, we could all fight him......, " Sanyun started, "but you remember last time we did that?"  
  
"Yeah," Lantis said. "He slipped out from right under us....." He thought for a moment, then it was as if a light bulb turned on over his head. His eyes lighted up, and for the first time he showed a little emotion. "I've got it!!" Everyone stared in awe as Lantis actually cracked a huge, yet evil-looking smile. "Ascot? What did you use to grow bigger like that?"  
  
"H-huh?" the palu replied, confused. "Oh, some potion Clef told me to brew...although I have no idea why he hasn't used it himself...."  
  
"Good. Go fetch me that potion."  
  
"Uh, sure. Okay." And off Ascot ran. He was back in a flash with a tiny vial of what looked like purple sand.  
  
"Oh boy!" Primera gushed, clapping her minute hands. "A bigger, better Lantis for me!!"  
  
"Noooo," Lantis said, surprised. "We throw this on Sanyun, and make him extra large, like Princess Aska did with her illusion strings!"  
  
Sanyun's small, beady eyes grew wide. He began to back away slowly....in his head, a voice was screaming, "NOOOOO!!"  
  
"NO!! I want to be bigger!!" Zazu exclaimed, grabbing for the vial. In doing so, he knocked it out of Ascot's hands and onto Geo and Eagle.  
  
But, something amazing happened. As the purple sand seemed to sink into their skin, the two men from Autozam began to get smaller and smaller....  
  
"We're shrinking!" yelled, or rather squeaked a distraught Geo. Eagle was just as upset. Then, the clothes around them were suddenly like big mountains surrounding them. Geo and Eagle had taken chibi forms!  
  
"Awww.....aren't they cute!" Zazu smirked evilly, rubbing on their heads.  
  
"Stop it!! It's not funny!" squeaked Eagle, threatening Zazu with his little pudgy fist.  
  
Before the tiny men could start a fight, Ferio picked up the baby sized Eagle and Geo and carried them off, saying, "I'll go get these two adorable little kids into their diapers...muahahaha....."  
  
As the two were taken away, kicking and screaming, none other than Yuri poked in on the meeting. He scoffed at them, thinking, "Stupid fools, they'll never catch me! Let's see what they're up to..."  
  
He watched as Ascot blushed with humiliation. "I'm sorry....wrong potion again....Guru Clef will surely have my head for this!"  
  
"No problem," Lantis said, clapping the brunette on the back. "Just go get the right potion this time, if you please..."  
  
Ascot nodded, and ducked back into his room, emerging with a vial of orange powder this time. "I am sure this is the right one!"  
  
Lantis nodded, taking the bottle in his hands, and eyeing a frightful Sanyun, when suddenly...  
  
"NOO!! ME!! I want to grow!!" Zazu made another grab for the sand, again knocking it out of someone's hands. This time, it ended up all over Primera.....  
  
"ARGH!" Primera yelled, collapsing to the ground. She was crying, trying to rub the powder from her eyes. The orange sunk into her pale skin, and the pixie grew...and grew....and grew.....  
  
"Woah....," Zazu said, his eyes popping out of his head. "She's a hottie!!!" It was true. Primera was now human sized. Her light blue hair flowed beautiful and straight as she stood a full 5'5", her magnificent blue wings fluttering in surprise.  
  
"What happened?" she said, tear still streaming down her face. She put her hand to her head, staring around her. Had the world shrunken...or had she grown?!  
  
From his hiding place, Yuri had a bad case of heart-shaped eyes..... "She's...so...beautiful!" He couldn't take it anymore. The earthling ran over, taking the overgrown pixie in his arms. "I love you!!!!! Will you marry me?!"  
  
Primera's eyes became the size of dinner plates. She shoved him off and flew outside. Yuri followed her in close pursuit, apparently head over heels in love....  
  
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NOW, REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 


	7. Trouble Brewing

WOOHOO!!!! I hit 50!!!! Never, in a million billion years, would I believe that I would get 50 reviews!!! You guys make me *sniff* sooo happy!!  
  
Freaky Dragon Gurl~Thanks for that comment about the comedy.....I always like hearing that I'm a funny person! ^_^  
  
anime crazy~You'll find out what happens soon enough....I'm planning to end this fic in 2 or less chapters more!  
  
Peacenikky~Like I told anime crazy, all will be revealed in due time! And hi to your friend Judi too!  
  
HeavenlyAnimeAngel-Amaterasu~Hehe, I love your review! It's all in shorthand writing!! "Oh my god! Laugh out loud, laugh my ass off, roll on the floor laughing!"  
  
Ascot Summon~Mistakes make life funny. I should know.....I did run into a screen door once, knocking it over in front of a bunch of guys....oopsies...ahhaha  
  
Cyberdoll-91911~Maybe there'll be a Yuri beating.....and maybe not....you'll see...hehe  
  
Love Star~Don't worry, I'll try my best to fit in ALL of the Knights...so that means you will get your Fuu/Ferio and Ascot/Umi parts! And thanks for the compliments too!  
  
Meli~Don't worry....I've been very busy lately too! And I am also very easily amused....should we make a club?! Hehehhee.....  
  
GoddessLD~I am so sorry that I haven't been updating....But I'll be sure to be wrapping up this fic soon, kay hon? Hehe  
  
brighteyes~WOW! The third time?!! That makes me feel like the best writer in the world! Thanks!  
  
Jade-Beads~Short and sweet review.....thanks!  
  
anon~Don't worry your head about this!! I'm making sure a happy ending is coming!  
  
Ceara Brede~Hikaru's my fave too!! I was always considered short....so Hikaru's like the coolest short person in my eyes!  
  
Sam~You kind of talk like Yoda....haha.....Okay, Update soon I will!!!  
  
Fuu Houoji~I'll try and finish up soon, sweetie!  
  
mooneyoukai~As I said to previous reviewers, I'll try and finish it up soon!!  
  
elie~You should be proud.....you're review is what pushed me over the edge and forced me to realize how long it has been since I've updated!! Thanks!!  
  
*phew* Lotsa reviewers to thank.....but you guys should know that I am very appreciative of all of your comments!!! You are the sunshine in my life, you guys!!  
  
Now, the next chapter of "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days or Less!"  
  
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Chapter 7  
  
The girls stepped into the huge ballroom that Mokona had magically added as an extension tot he back of the palace. Gazing around the enormous space, they all wondered....  
  
"How will we decorate all this before tonight?!" That was Umi, freaking out as usual. "All of Cephiro is going to be here!! We need food, and music, and a bunch of other things!!"  
  
Lady Aska, who was just about as tall as Umi now, perked up and said with a smile, "We think we should decorate it with sweets and candies!!"  
  
"I like how you think!" Hikaru bubbled, throwing an arm around Aska's shoulders. They walked around the room, pointing to different places and making plans of their own.  
  
"Oooh!!" Hikaru said with awe. "Let's have some chocolate streamers here! And some gumdrop balloons there!"  
  
"How about rock candy sculptures on the tables?" Lady Aska added. "We believe that would be positively yummy!"  
  
"It would be!!"  
  
"ENOUGH!!" bellowed Tarta. "We can't have edible decorations!! It's a ball, not a little kid party!!"  
  
Tatra interrupted, "Dear sister, calm down! I think a room of sweets is a fabulous idea!"  
  
"But I don't like sweets!" whined Umi in dismay.  
  
Fuu sighed heavily and rubbed her forehead in frustration as the other girls continued to bicker. "The problem is," she said quietly, "We don't have the time or the resources to decorate at all, much less with candy and cake....."  
  
Presea nodded in agreement, and looked around her until she spotted a sly Mokona trying to make an escape......  
  
"YOU!!! Come here!!!" She grabbed the puffball and shook it, saying, "You take care of this!! Decorate, before time runs out!!" They all looked at the clock, which was much like an Earth clock, and saw that it was already 5 pm, and the party was to start at 6!!  
  
"HURRY!" Presea yelled, "Or, I'll let Umi eat you!!" Mokona merely just stared up blankly at her, replying, "Puu?"  
  
Presea handed him to Umi. She looked down at the little holy creature and for once didn't feel very hungry. She whispered in a sweet voice to it, "Please Mokona. Please do this. For us."  
  
"Yes, please do it, oh Holy Creator!" Fuu asked from behind Umi, clasping her hands in prayer. Mokona still looked oblivious to his surroundings, but soon enough, the red jewel on his forehead glowed brightly. A bright white light filled the entire room to capacity, hitting every corner, and when the flash disappeared, the great hall was decorated all in delicate shades of pink and splashes of red, to match the Magic Knight they were celebrating with tonight.  
  
Aska and Hikaru looked around with glee and started dancing about. "There's white chocolate!! And pink bubblegum! Red taffy everywhere!!" Mokona had granted the little girls' wishes of a ballroom full of sweets.  
  
But that was just the beginning. Mokona's jewel had been glowing red before, but now it glowed a blue color. Immediately, there was a table at the back of the room filled with the most delicious smelling food any of the women had ever smelled. Round tables popped up everywhere, surrounding a dance floor, and a head table appeared at the head of the room. All the tables were set with the finest china plates and silver dinnerware.  
  
Umi, still holding the little white fuzzy creature, stared about in even more awe than before, and began strolling over to the table laden with food, when she noticed that Mokona wasn't quite finished yet.  
  
"Mokona?" Presea said, bewildered. "All the decorations and tables and food....they're all set up! Aren't you quite done?!" Mokona answered by changing the color of his jewel to green. Everyone's clothes shined with a white light and changed form in the blink of an eye.  
  
Before they knew it, the girls were all standing in sweeping ballgowns. Lady Aska was now in a fancy red and black kimono, her hair done up in the usual two buns. Presea stood tall and beautiful in a white dress much like the one she used as a Pharle, except with more gems here and there. Tatra and Tarta were beautiful in their gowns of yellow, both matching each other as usual. Hikaru was in pale pink prom dress-like gown, Umi in pale blue, and Fuu in pale green. The Magic Knights all had on crowns of flowers encircling their heads.  
  
"Oh my gosh, Umi!" Hikaru gushed. "You are so pretty!!"  
  
"And so are you!" Umi said, dropping Mokona and hugging her "little sister."  
  
Suddenly, Ferio burst in, with Lantis and Ascot right behind him. They were all dressed up too, in what one could only imagine as Cephiran formal dress for men. Ferio had a serious look on his face. "What happened to my clothes?!" he exclaimed. Then he caught sight of the girls.  
  
Fuu strolled right up to him as he gawked. "Mokona did it," she said sweetly.  
  
"You," the prince said, "Are absolutely the most beautiful thing I have ever seen in my life!!" Right then and there, he grabbed Fuu in his arms and planted a big wet one on her.  
  
"Jesus Christ, get a room," Tarta remarked, tugging at her clothes. "Besides, I don't like these clothes!"  
  
"Oh, sister, I think young love is so sweet!" Tatra said, clapping her hands together. "And the dress Mokona gave you is very flattering, if I might say so myself."  
  
Lady Aska spied Sanyun hiding behind Lantis....but something was different. "Sanyun!! We think you've grown taller!"  
  
Sanyun blushed at the same time Ascot did. "I....I gave him a potion so he would be as tall as you!" the palu stuttered.  
  
"Aww!" Umi gleamed as she hurried up to Ascot. "That's so sweet of you to do that!" And she threw her arms around him and gave him a humongous hug.  
  
"Umm," Hikaru said, looking very naive again. Then, in one breath she said, "Where's Eagle? And Geo? And Zazu? And why have you come here? And, oh my gosh! Where's Yuri? Did you get rid of him for me?!" Lantis stared blankly at her, trying to keep track of all of the questions.  
  
Sanyun began answering. "Well....Zazu is taking care of Eagle and Geo....they've both been, well....."  
  
"Shrunken down," Lantis finished, scratching the back of his head. "And, we came here because we accidentally made Primera....."  
  
At that moment the enlarged Primera burst inside the room and flew to take refuge in the chandelier. Next, Yuri busted in, screaming, "My love!! Come back!! You are the sunshine in my poor pathetic life!!"  
  
He saw her in the chandelier, and yelled upwards, "I love you with the power of a thousand suns!!"  
  
Hikaru sighed in relief. "That gets him off of my hands....but we never did find out what he was chasing me around for, did we?"  
  
Then, Yuri's watch beeped loudly. Looking confused, he glanced at his watch. He got an annoyed look on his face and turned back up to Primera. "I'll be back, my love!" And to his watch, he yelled, "What do you want Haruka?!"  
  
"Yuri, have you taken care of the girl yet?" a crackly voice said from his watch.  
  
"No, I have fallen madly in love with an angel!" he swooned.  
  
"But, the plan! You promised me!!"  
  
"I'm sorry, I'm not your slave anymore!"  
  
"Grrr.....you will pay for this soon enough young man!"  
  
"I don't care! I'm in love....."  
  
"You stupid boy, just transport me there, NOW!!"  
  
"Right away Haruka," he said with a sigh and a roll of his eyes. He pressed one button on his watch, then went back to begging Primera for just one kiss.  
  
"Who's Haruka?!" Umi said to Fuu and Hikaru.  
  
"No idea," Fuu replied. "But I have a bad feeling about this....." It turned out her feelings were justified, for after a long silence, save Yuri's pledges of love and devotion to a frightened Primera, Guru Clef ran into the ballroom.  
  
He rushed right up to Yuri and shook his shoulders, crying out, "You didn't bring her here, did you? Please tell me you didn't let her come!!"  
  
Yuri merely nodded slowly, asking, "Why? Don't you like her?"  
  
Guru Clef collapsed onto the floor as the ground began to shake underneath everyone.  
  
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So sorry if this chappy is short!! I promise, there's still more to come!  
  
If you don't know by now, I'll tell you now: this fic will be ending very soon indeed, so stay tuned!  
  
And please, review! 


	8. Battle!

Hey people!! There's so many people to thank, and I feel it takes up so much time.....so, I'm just going to say one big gigantic THANK YOU!!!!!  
  
Oh, and I'll be sending out emails to you who have reviewed in the past, telling you that I've updated....I've done this before, and it's worked, so there! Teehee...  
  
Disclaimer: If you, by now, do not know that I do not own Magic Knight Rayearth, then WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING ON FANFICTION.NET??? *ahem* *cough* Sorry, temporary evil moment there......  
  
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Chapter 8  
  
"Why is the ground shaking?!" Umi shouted, while everyone else panicked around her. The earth quaked beneath them, knocking the Knight that controlled water into the handsome palu standing right next to her.  
  
Ascot just blushed a bright red, while Umi clung onto him for dear life, afraid that any moment she would be sucked down a deep crevice that would open up in the ground. Suddenly, she heard some familiar, tinkling music. She looked up and saw a glowing, blue ball of light in front of her. She reached out towards it and was able to ease it back to her for a closer look. It was, in fact, the music box that Ascot had given her....  
  
Umi, surprised, glanced up at the others. Fuu was currently being mesmerized by her earring, which seemed to be floating magically in a ball of light as well, except this ball was green. Hikaru herself was glowing, her eyes shut peacefully.  
  
The red light engulfed her body, and she, the music box, and the earring floated to the middle of the ballroom. Presea covered her mouth in horror.  
  
"It can't be....." Tarta gasped.  
  
"The prophecy....it can't be coming true!" said her sister, equally scared.  
  
"No, no one has the power to do that!" Ferio screamed out with horror. "If this doesn't stop, the power of her heart will be extracted from her, and she will ultimately be gone forever!"  
  
Lantis grabbed at the little girl's ankle, but it was too late. She and the other possessed objects were already too high for him to reach for. Hikaru had her hands clasped over her heart. Suddenly, the red light was concentrated on her heart. The redhead then lifted her hands, and the light with it, over her head.  
  
Umi gasped, speechless. Fuu yelled out to her sister, "HIKARU!" but the cry only fell upon dead ears. A bright light filled the room once again, but instead of showering everyone with hope, they were all covered in fear.  
  
The ground started shaking even more, knocking all the people off of their feet. All of the sudden, the ceiling was ripped off of the ballroom! For that moment, everyone was concentrated on the ceiling, until Lady Aska noticed that the worst was yet to come.  
  
"Oh no!!" she yelled, pointing at where Hikaru, the music box, and the earring were. Hikaru seemed to be faltering, and in a few seconds, she started dropping to the ground, leaving her heart suspended with the other objects.  
  
Lantis rushed up to her in time to catch her in his arms, but when he shook her, trying to revive her, she would not budge. He placed one hand on her cheek, and found it cold. Umi and Fuu both ran to Lantis's side, both sobbing with the most terrible grief.  
  
"I never got the chance," he said, "to tell her the truth...." Fuu placed one hand on his shoulder, but then felt herself tiring out. She looked to Umi, who looked like she was about to faint.  
  
Then, something clicked in the blonde's brain. She looked at the glowing orbs, and realized that they were glowing brighter by the minute. Doing some quick thinking, she barked at Umi, "Our possessions! They're sucking the life out of us!"  
  
"But why?" Umi mumbled, barely able to move her lips.  
  
"Our hearts...they treasure those two objects the most! We have used that music box and that earring to reminisce, and therefore have invested too much of our hearts in them!"  
  
"But, who would want our life force?"  
  
Fuu shook her head, then looking skyward, realized something else. She pointed to the sky slowly. Umi sluggishly turned her head and saw what had torn the ceiling off of their beautiful new ballroom. Standing there was a giant mecha, that looked like.....  
  
"A GIANT CHICKEN?!" Lady Aska screamed in horror. Then, the corners of her mouth turned up into a smile. "We wants it for our room!!"  
  
"No, Lady Aska!" Sanyun pleaded. "Not again!" Sanyun held back the terribly excited Fahrenian princess, until they were both run over by a terrified Primera and her obsessive suitor, Yuri.  
  
The chicken ignored the mess below it, and made a grab for the glowing objects. There was an evil cackle as the raspy voice was heard again, this time more triumphant than ever before. "Finally!" it announced. "My own will is going to be fulfilled!"  
  
Umi squinted her eyes in anger, and stole a glance at Fuu. The Magic Knight of the Wind gave her a nod, and the two remaining Knights got to their feet. They wobbled a little bit, for lack of energy, but were able to gain balance.  
  
"Selece!"  
  
"Windam!"  
  
At the sound of their names, the two Mashin rose from the ground and greeted their owners. In an instant, Umi and Fuu were inside their Spirits and ready to fight off the chicken.  
  
They both reached out their giant hands and blocked the chicken from obtaining the only things in the world that were keeping them alive at that moment. With one punch, Windam, with Fuu inside, sent the chicken flying to a different part of Cephiro. Fuu and Umi then flew to where the evil being had landed.  
  
The gigantic bird got up again, and shot missiles at Umi and Fuu, who immediately blocked. Umi went for the neck of the evil robot, wringing it as if to choke whoever was inside. Somehow, the chicken got out and began pecking madly at Umi, who screeched in pain.  
  
Fuu tried to wrestle the rabid bird off of her best friend, but it seemed no use. The chicken somehow had the upper hand in this fight.  
  
The others could only look on in horror, except for Lantis, who was still holding Hikaru in his arms. He sat on the ground, cradling her softly. He looked down into her lifeless face and brushed one stray hair from her face.  
  
What he had thought was love before was nothing compared to what he was feeling now. As Lantis held her hand in his, he remembered that sunny smile that Hikaru always gave him. Her eyes, he thought, were always lit up and full of joy whenever she saw him. Those two eyes were what he lived for, the eyes of a person who had the strongest heart in the world.  
  
She was always doing favors for others, he remembered. She had even wanted him to hit her, because she, in her own mind, had thought she deserved to be punished for what she had done as a Magic Knight. And she was always the sweetest, friendliest person around. That was why Mokona had liked her in the first place.  
  
Though Lantis had never really shown it, he really did have feelings for her. He had always assumed that whatever it was, those feelings meant love. But now, he knew what love meant, as he sat there holding her. For the first time, one tear rolled down his cheek. It dripped onto one of her cheeks and rolled down it.  
  
He could hear the Mashin fighting in the background with the giant chicken. Knowing that he probably might have to leave to fight soon, Lantis leaned down kissed Hikaru on the lips. He had wanted to do so for the longest time, but never had the guts to, afraid of how she would react. At least now, he thought, she wouldn't be able to reject him.  
  
Lantis pulled back, and looked at her once again. But something unexpected happened then. Hikaru's eyes fluttered open. She looked up into the dark eyes of her knight in shining armor. Immediately, she threw her arms around his neck and pulled her back to herself, giving him another kiss. [Author's note: OH, the fluffiness!! Sorry, I just had to put that in there! Hehehhee]  
  
In the distance, the giant chicken was putting up one heck of a fight. Of course, it wasn't helping that Fuu and Umi were also currently being drained of the power of their hearts. The evil mecha had the Mashin on their knees by the time Hikaru was revived.  
  
Thankfully, Hikaru was revived in the nick of time, for as soon as she had opened her eyes once again, the red orb returned to her. The music box and the earring dropped to the ground, no longer glowing. With that, the robot chicken was rendered immobile.  
  
Umi, suddenly filled with more energy, grabbed one wing of the giant bird, and Fuu grabbed the other. Together, they flew the frozen chicken back to the palace, where everyone was waiting.  
  
There, the others waited for them. Aska, Sanyun, Yuri, and Primera were still all jumbled up in their squabble. Hikaru was also there, smiling in her usual way and holding the music box in one hand and the earring in the other hand. Fuu and Umi hopped down from their spirits and gladly gave Hikaru the most enormous hug ever.  
  
"You're okay!" Fuu said through tears. "We thought you were....."  
  
"Oh, it doesn't matter anymore!" Umi said, also leaking at the eyes. "As long as you're okay!"  
  
"Everything's not okay yet...." spoke up a wise voice from behind the three. They all looked behind them to see Clef standing there, apparently also newly revived. He looked seriously at each girl. All three of the Magic Knights threw confused looks back at him.  
  
"The chicken! It's gone!" whined Hikaru. "Can't we just get on with my party now?" Umi and Fuu nodded in agreement.  
  
Clef shook his head. Suddenly, Mokona appeared out of no where, and jumped into Guru Clef's arms.  
  
"MOKONA!!!" Presea bellowed. "Don't tell me you hid again?!"  
  
The holy creature just gave a blank face and an expressionless, "Puu." Presea made a grab for the fluffy white entity, but only to find that Clef had snatched it out of harm's way just in time.  
  
Clef sighed and rubbed his head. With Mokona in one arm, and his staff in the other, he looked to the giant robot chicken. "Haruka, come on out!"  
  
To everyone's surprise, the beak of the chicken opened wide, and eerie smoke poured out of it. In the smoke, the silhouette of a small figure appeared, and the mysterious stranger known as Haruka began to step out of their mecha.  
  
As soon as the person had safely exited their vehicle, none other than Zazu wheeling a cradle entered onto the scene. "Look!" he said, his eyes shut. "I gave the two babies bottle of vodka!"  
  
He gestured to the cradle, where the little Eagle and Geo were indeed sucking on their two bottle of liquor. When Zazu got no response, he looked around to find that the room was demolished. "What happened to the roof? What's with the giant chicken? Is that why there was an earthquake?" Then, the technician's eyes widened with horror. "And what are they doing here?!"  
  
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*ahem* REVIEW!!! 


	9. Happy Ending

Chapter 9  
  
"Welcome back, Haruka," Guru Clef said coldly to the stranger. The mysterious newcomer stepped forward. It ended up being a little old lady....  
  
"I know you!" Hikaru yelled. "You're the Chinese matchmaker, aren't you!!"  
  
The frail old woman looked sadly at the ground. "You are correct, Ms. Hikaru Shidou."  
  
"But, why did you attack us and try to steal our hearts away?!" Umi asked in earnest.  
  
"I....I needed the power of the Pillar to transport myself here."  
  
"So, you knew about this place all along then?!" Hikaru said with disbelief. Haruka, the old woman, nodded her head slowly. "How?!"  
  
Zazu was still staring at Haruka with the greatest interest. Then, he snapped his fingers. "I knew I recognized you! You're one of the Gurus, aren't you?"  
  
"Yes," she answered. "I am Guru Haruka of Earth. Since there is barely any magic in that land, there was no magic to keep me young and youthful like Clef here."  
  
Presea rubbed her chin, asking, "So, you came here to be youthful again?"  
  
"I came here for the Power of the Pillar. At first, I tried to use Yuri to capture the Pillar, but, as you all see, that plan has not panned out." They all nodded in agreement as Yuri chased the enlarged Primera in the background.  
  
"I knew that the power could also be obtained when all three Knights, along with their hearts, were brought together. Never would I have known that these two Knights would lock away their love in mere objects."  
  
"Hey!" Umi objected. "Those 'mere objects' are very special to our hearts!"  
  
"As I have found out...." Haruka replied. Her eyes still dwelled on the floor.  
  
"So, may we ask why you need this power then?" Lady Aska inquired. "Do you want to control the world of Cephiro, like we did at one time?"  
  
"I only wanted my will to be done!" Haruka said forcefully.  
  
"And your will is....." Sanyun slowly said.  
  
"To combine bring Earth into the same universe as Cephiro, Autozam, Fahren, and Chizeta."  
  
Hikaru felt sympathy for the little old woman. Many times, the redhead had wanted to merge the worlds into one, for her own selfish reasons. And, as Pillar, she could too. But, Hikaru knew that it wasn't the smartest thing in the world to do. She placed her hand on her shoulder in sympathy. "And why do you want Earth to be in contact with the other planets?"  
  
Haruka looked up and into each of the pairs of eyes of her watchers. Her own eyes were filled to the brim with tears. "Because....." Than, Haruka paused.  
  
"Because I love Guru Clef!" The whole crowd looked from the sobbing old Haruka to Clef, who still looked as serious as ever.  
  
"It's true...." he began. "She was my first apprentice...she loved me so much, that Mokona had to send her away from me, before she cause harm to both of us....."  
  
"Puu!" Mokona squealed. Hikaru bent forward to talk to her little marshmallow-like friend, and asked calmly, "Is it safe to bring Earth into orbit with these worlds?"  
  
"Puu!" Mokona repeated.  
  
"Yes?" Hikaru replied.  
  
"Oh geez...." Umi said, slapping her forehead. "She can still understand that puffball....."  
  
"Okay then...." Hikaru started. She looked at each of the faces around the room, each filled with anticipation. "As Pillar, I decree that Cephiro and Earth, as well as all the other planets, will forever be in close contact with each other."  
  
"Oh, how novel!" Tatra exclaimed. "Now, we can see them everyday!"  
  
"Is that necessarily a good thing?" Tarta replied sarcastically.  
  
Mokona ignored the two Chizetian sisters, making the jewel on its forehead glow white. In a bright flash of light that engulfed the whole universe, the will of Hikaru Shidou, the Pillar of Cephiro, was done.  
  
"Oh, wait...." Fuu said, thinking again. "The people on Earth! They're all going to freak out!"  
  
"Hmm....." Hikaru said, rubbing her chin. "Then, it is my will that the people of Earth be informed about the other 4 planets. Mokona's jewel glowed again, and this time only encircled the Earth. Before they knew it, a road was traveling from Earth to Cephiro.  
  
"You do know that anyone here has the power to do that?" Umi said skeptically. "Remember? It was Hikaru's will that everyone in Cephiro could use their own heart to shape this land!"  
  
"You're right....." Fuu said. "Why didn't I think of that? Oh well....."  
  
Haruka, who had been grinning at the moment, looked at the two Knights. Her smile melted. "Anyone in Cephiro could have had the power to grant my wish?"  
  
Umi and Fuu both nodded slowly. Haruka, too surprised for words, fainted to the floor.  
  
"Oops," Hikaru interrupted. "I don't think you should have told her that all that work she had done was for nothing......"  
  
All three shrugged, and giggled happily, hugging each other once again. After that joyous little reunion, they each split off.  
  
Fuu returned to Ferio. "You're still the most beautiful thing I have ever seen,"he said, running his fingers through her hair.  
  
"But I'm all dirty from the fight!" Fuu objected.  
  
"You're beautiful in my eyes," he said, leaning over and kissing her again.  
  
Ascot, who was still as shy and quiet as ever, stood in the corner where Umi spotted him. She carried with her the music box. "Thanks again," she said, holding it to her heart. "I have been cherishing this silly little box ever since you gave it to me."  
  
Again, the palu turned red. "Wouldyouprangwithmetonight?" he said all in one breath.  
  
"What? Prang?" Umi said, surprised.  
  
"I mean, would you dance with me?"  
  
"Gladly! Why wouldn't I want to dance with my new boyfriend?" Ascot's smile spread so wide, that Umi could have sworn that the corners of his mouth could reach his ears. His happiness made her happy as well, as she finally realized that he had loved her all along.  
  
Hikaru was the last to meet up with her guy. She skipped up to Lantis, who was also smiling a very broad smile.  
  
"Can I ask you a question?" he said in a voice that for once was full of emotion.  
  
"Anything!" the redhead replied.  
  
"Who do you want to marry?"  
  
"You asked me that a long time ago.....when I didn't know what real love was....."  
  
"Do you know what real love is now?"  
  
"Yes. My real love is you." Lantis smiled even more, placing his hand on her cheek. Hikaru pressed his hand to her face there, as he leaned down to her and kissed her once again, this time not afraid of rejection now.  
  
And so it was. The three Magic Knights found their true loves and lived happily ever after, being that they were able to travel between Cephiro and Earth as much as they wanted to. But, what of the others?  
  
Lafarga and Caldina were actually missing during the whole ordeal that the Knights went through. Apparently, they hadn't felt the earthquake either, or so they said when they finally came to the party hours late.  
  
Haruka, after spending more time in Cephiro, gained back her youth and turned out to be quite the beauty. She was about Clef's height, with dark pink hair and a childish, yet pretty face. Clef tolerated the presence of Haruka, although he still wouldn't reciprocate her unrequited love to him. But, who knows? Maybe he'll learn to love her in another 600 years.  
  
Primera somehow stayed human size for eternity. It turns out that the potion was made for humans only, and causes any other creature to remain that size permanently. Yuri is still in pursuit of her. Oh well, at least he is distracting her from pursuing Lantis, much to the relief of Hikaru.  
  
Well, it is rumored that Sanyun proposed to Lady Aska hours later at the party. Although taken aback, she gladly accepted on the condition that their wedding cake would be the tallest chocolate delicacy ever concocted.  
  
Tarta and Tatra gladly took over the task of watching over little Eagle and Geo, that is until they grew back to their normal size, which actually occurred in the middle of the party. Imagine their surprise when the two Autozamanians couldn't fit inside the cradle anymore.... Together, the quartet were finally able to clear the air in Autozam, and by intermarrying, the sisters were finally able to expand their borders even farther.  
  
Zazu had left the two men in the hands of Tarta and Tatra to go take another potion for growing taller. After taking it, he had apparently flirted with Presea and won her heart. But, of course, Presea has no idea that this ravishing new man is actually the childish technician from Autozam....but, the truth can't hurt that much, can it?  
  
THE END!!!!  
  
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CREDITS! A special thanks to all the reviewers for making my fic such a success! Woo, my first MKR story, and it certainly won't be the last!  
  
Review guys [and girls too!]! You know I appreciate it! 


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